Duke of Nieuwvaalia
The Duke of Nieuwvaalia is a title in the Peerage of the Terran Empire and the Peerage of the Republic, which has been created twice. The first creation conferred ducal rank to the heretofore comital House of Marten of the planet Nieuwvaalia in 2610. The dukedom carried the subsidiary titles Count of Martenstad,' Viscount Vaal '''and '''Baron Brachen'. The Marten dynasty had previously held the the title Margrave '''of Nieuwvaalia '''as independent allodial lords of Nieuwvaalia from 2531 to 2610, having lived on the world since its colonization in 2366 and contributed greatly towards the planet's industrial and post-industrial economic and political development. With the establishment of the Terran Empire in 2600, they were compelled to bend the knee to the Emperor and surrender their allodial fiefdom to the Imperial Crown. In exchange, they were granted by letters patent the Dukedom of Nieuwvaalia and conferred the hereditary governorship of the planet. The Marten dynasty became active politically in the Horsehead Province and later in the Imperial Parliament. They came to be predominant among the House of Lords, in part due to their immense fortune and power in the Horsehead region. The Martens possessed vast landholdings and industrial interests, giving them financial power in politics and industry. This influence reached both its peak and its dramatic fall under Cassander Marten, the 13th Duke. He used his fortune for personal indulgences to the point of illegal activity, which caused his political downfall in the 3260s when he was investigated, tried, and imprisoned. He then plotted against the Crown to carry out an aristocratic coup d'etat; however, he and several conspirators were embroiled in a violent dispute, which led to their deaths. Afterwards, the Marten dukedom became extinct. The dukedom was revived in 3271 for the Count of Rothstein. After his death in 3286, the dukedom passed to his daughter. This second creation of the dukedom carries the same subsidiary titles as the previous dukedom. By separate grant, the Rothschild dukes also hold the titles Count of Rothstein, Baron of Rothstein, Baron of Hertford, and Baron of Waidhofen. Incumbents Dukes of Nieuwvaalia, first creation * Pieter, 1st Duke of Nieuwvaalia (2560-2688), incumbent 2610-2688 * son, Willem I, 2nd Duke of Nieuwvaalia (2590-2720), incumbent 2688-2720 ** son, Johannes, Count of Martenstad (2620-2700) *** grandson, Frederik, Viscount Vaal (2651-2718) * great-grandson, Frederik I, 3rd Duke of Nieuwvaalia (2690-2800), incumbent 2720-2800 ** son, Karl, Count of Martenstad (2718-2800) * grandson, Willem II, 4th Duke of Nieuwvaalia (2740-2859), incumbent 2800-2859 * son, Pieter II, 5th Duke of Nieuwvaalia (2772-2900), incumbent 2859-2900 ** son, Willem Lawrence, Count of Martenstad (2800-2899) * grandson, Frederik II, 6th Duke of Nieuwvaalia (2830-2928), incumbent 2900-2928 ** son, Edward, Count of Martenstad (2860-2928) * grandson, Frederik III, 7th Duke of Nieuwvaalia (2890-2982), incumbent 2928-2982 ** son, Charles, Count of Martenstad (2920-2980) * grandson, Willem III, 8th Duke of Nieuwvaalia (2948-3000), incumbent 2982-3000 * son, Pieter III, 9th Duke of Nieuwvaalia (2971-3100), incumbent 3000-3100 ** son, Willem Pieter, Count of Martenstad (3000-3029) * grandson, Charles, 10th Duke of Nieuwvaalia (3020-3155), incumbent 3100-3155 ** son, Willem Charles, Count of Martenstad (3060-3150) *** grandson, Wikus, Viscount Vaal (3098-3151) * great-grandson, Frederik IV, 11th Duke of Nieuwvaalia (3130-3228), incumbent 3155-3228 ** son, Pieter Francis, Count of Martenstad (3162-3221) * grandson, Johannes Frederik,12th Duke (3200-3247), incumbent 3228-3247 ** second son, Willem Pieter, Count of Martenstad (3230-3268) * son, Cassander, 13th Duke of Nieuwvaalia (3221-3268), incumbent 3247-3268 Dukes of Nieuwvaalia, second creation * George Francis, 1st Duke of Nieuwvaalia (3205-3286), incumbent 3271-3286 * Hannah Crescentia, 2nd Duchess of Nieuwvaalia (3243-), incumbent 3286- ** Jakodi Sean, Count of Martenstad and Rothstein (3271-)